PGA trainees from around the country will converge on the Tocumwal Golf and Bowls Club for this week’s Vic/Tas PGA Trainee Championships.

PGA trainees from around the country will converge on the Tocumwal Golf and Bowls Club for this week’s Vic/Tas PGA Trainee Championships.

This will be the club’s 14th straight year hosting the championships and this year’s event is shaping up to be another great tournament.

Tocumwal Golf and Bowls Club chief executive Craig Smith said they were very excited to have the PGA trainees back again.

‘‘Both courses are in excellent condition so we can expect some great scoring this week,’’ he said.

Berrigan Shire Mayor Matthew Hannan said they were pleased to support the PGA Trainee Championships.

‘‘Having a PGA tournament in our backyard is excellent exposure for our region and the great golf courses we have,’’ Cr Hannan said.

The week began on Monday with a junior clinic conducted by the trainees for primary school children from Tocumwal and Berrigan.

The clinic provided the children with a taste of golf though a variety of activities aimed at learning the sport’s basic skills.

It was followed by the Championship Pro Am which gave local golfers and sponsors the opportunity to tee-up with the upcoming stars of professional golf.

The pro am was followed by the championship dinner with all competing players in attendance and presentations from the pro am.

The tournament proper began yesterday, with a total of 117 trainees from Victoria, Tasmania, NSW, Queensland and Western Australia, who will compete over four rounds for the $35000 prize money available.

It is a very open field with defending champion Brody Martin not attending following his graduation from the PGA Trainee Program at the end of last year.

Those returning after top-10 results in 2016 include Trent Smith (NSW) and Robbie Hogan (NSW).

Hogan captured both the NSW and Queensland State Trainee Championship titles in 2016 and is hoping to complete the east coast trifecta this week.

Other players to watch include Gavin Fairfax, James Betts, Ben Murphy and Frazer Droop.

All have had multiple wins in Victorian trainee matches this year with Droop capturing the Rich River Trainee Classic in February.

Droop, a first-year trainee at the Yarrawonga and Mulwala Golf Resort, will have some extra course knowledge having played at Tocumwal on countless occasions in the past.

The tournament ends on Friday with spectators welcome to watch the action during the week.